Why jury service remains a time-consuming rigmarole – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.
Leeds Crown Court.Leeds Crown Court.
Leeds Crown Court.

THOUGH a wonderful setting for film or TV, I have to agree with David Behrens’ verdict on jury service – “a waste of everyone’s time” (The Yorkshire Post, August 7).

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Summoned to serve at Leeds Assizes in the 1960s, I was initially entranced by the otherworldliness in which we found ourselves. For me, Miles Malleson would’ve looked better on the bench, but we had Mr Justice Melford Stevenson. We were informed that, despite the recent abolition of the death penalty, he still carried his ‘black cap’ in his robes! Approached on a point of law, he seemed reasonable enough. We said “guilty” and he responded with “18 months”.

After two further cases, a fellow juror and I left Leeds Town Hall discussing whether this rigmarole was really necessary to establish the truth.

It was certainly entertaining, but we were dealing with people’s freedoms and futures. A number of other reported performances over the last 50-odd years have raised further concerns. The fatter the wallet, the more spectacular the show and the more inexcusable the loophole!

From: Bill Marsh, Beadle Garth, Copmanthorpe, York.

I COULDN’T agree more with David Behrens that jury service is outdated and a waste of time (The Yorkshire Post, August 7).

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Some years ago, my wife did two weeks of jury service at York. She could ill afford the time off work but did her duty and reported as required.

She spent the next two weeks doing absolutely nothing, as the plaintiffs, in case after case, changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty, literally on the court steps. The sheer waste of time for those present, the jury, the court officials and the witnesses was mind boggling.

At the very least, defendants should have to commit to a plea, say, four weeks before their trial, so that this utter waste of human resource doesn’t continue.

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